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Are you an early childhood educator, primary school teacher or parent and are curious about STEM? Join us for a fun and interactive session exploring STEM in the early and primary years (ages 4-12).

Have you ever wondered…
How to engage young children in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths? How do I teach children STEM when I am not confident in my own skills and knowledge? How can I fit anything else into my already crowded curriculum and still allow time for play? What about the Arts? Is STEM even developmentally appropriate for young children? Don’t children spend enough time on technology?
We will answer all these questions, and more, during this interactive workshop.

Learning outcomes:
- Understand and appreciate STEM Thinking and related concepts;
- Understand the importance of STEM in early years and primary context;
- Understand how to identify STEM Thinking and concepts in children’s play;
- Support children in developing STEM Thinking skills through play and inquiry-based learning; and
- Observe, document, analyse and scaffold STEM Thinking and concepts with confidence.

Under the umbrella of Ed Innovators NZ, Ako School (www.akospace.com) and the Academy for Gifted Education (www.giftededucation.school.nz) have joined together to bring to you this 3-hour hands-on professional learning and development session with Niki Buchan, an international educational consultant from Real World Learning (www.realworldlearning.com.au).

Morning tea will be provided. Please advise us of any dietary restrictions.
3 hours free parking available at Westfield Shore City.

Niki will also be offering a shorter 'salon' session for parents in the evening from 7 pm. See our other listing for more details.

What is STEM?
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Develop your confidence around these disciplines and further your understanding as to how they are intertwined, and applied together in real-world settings.
See where you can find STEM in Early Childhood and Primary School settings and how to identify it in children’s play.

Why is STEM Important?
We will discuss why STEM is important, particularly in the early years. What are the social, economic and environmental trends that will see STEM Thinking become increasingly important in a changing world?

What is STEM Thinking and what dispositions are needed?
Discover STEM Thinking consider how to develop and support STEM Thinking skills and further exercise children’s curiosity in your service or class?

What does STEM look like in the early years?
STEM in the Early Years should not be based on teaching children science or number facts, but rather on fostering their natural dispositions for curiosity and inquiry-based learning by doing. How do we create an environment, provide the resources and give children the opportunity to explore, discover, question and test their thoughts and ideas? We will explore some stories and case studies and identify the STEM Thinking and concepts involved.

STEM Plus A
Discuss the importance of the Arts and creative expression in the exploration and application of STEM thinking and concepts. How do we use art and creativity to enhance STEM Thinking?

What is the role of Adults in supporting the development of STEM Thinking?
How can adults support children to develop STEM Thinking skills in day to day activities? We will discuss how to:
- Observe children’s play and identify STEM thinking;
- Analyse and reflect on the opportunities provided, and how to extend on the children’s interest through scaffolding;
- How to document STEM Thinking and communicate learning to families; and
- How to link STEM Thinking to Learning Frameworks/Curricula.

STEM Opportunities in Play
Explore a range of fun and interactive activities that simulate typical scenarios in your service/class, and practice observing, identifying and documenting the STEM Thinking that you see.